GOP hands Dems bruising defeats nationally, in Ohio

Well, folks, election season is over for another year, and we got precious few surprises last night. The GOP ran up the score in every statewide election, took control of the U.S. Senate by picking up between seven to nine seats and scooped up even more seats in the House than they had before. Rep. John Boehner picked up an easy victory and looks to spend another term as house speaker and Sen. Mitch McConnell, who at one point looked to have a tougher fight, easily won against Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. Now he could become Senate majority leader. The statewide results are demoralizing for Democrats. Gov. Kasich won over Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald by a huge 32 point margin in the governor’s race. Attorney General Mike DeWine won an easy victory over Democrat David Pepper, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted handily beat Democratic State Senator Nina Turner, and even Republican Treasurer Josh Mandel beat opponent State Rep. Connie Pillich by nearly 15 points, despite being the most vulnerable of Republican incumbents in the election. That means four more years of a governor who has actively worked to curtail women's access to abortion services, an attorney general who has fought to preserve Ohio's more-than-likely unconstitutional gay marriage ban and a secretary of state who has worked to curtail early voting in the state.In what is an almost too-neat metaphor for the state of Ohio's Democratic Party, now-former Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern resigned as the party’s statewide leader last night after the embarrassing showing. He even lost his own seat in the Ohio House of Representatives to a Republican challenger, Steve Kraus, who is, get this, a suspect in a burglary, though no charges have been filed yet. One thing is for sure — Redfern got his seat burgled. Yeah, I just went there with that terrible joke.The biggest news on the local level is that Issue 8, the icon tax, passed with 63 percent of the vote. That means a quarter-cent county sales tax increase will fund renovations to the city’s historic Union Terminal building. But interest in the icon tax fight didn’t extend to kicking County Commissioner Chris Monzel out of office. Many expressed anger at Monzel for slicing Music Hall out of the tax deal over the summer, but 58 percent of voters weren’t angry enough to choose Democrat Chris Feeney or write-in candidate Jim Tarbell over the Republican incumbent.Also noteworthy is Democrat Cecil Thomas’ easy win over Republican Cincinnati City Councilman Charlie Winburn for Ohio’s 9th District state Senate seat. That means Winburn will be hanging around Council for a while longer and continuing to chair the powerful budget committee, where he’s been a key ally to Mayor John Cranley. On a national level, the election is a part backlash against President Obama mixed with a bit of an affirmation of the GOP political strategy led by McConnell, which basically boils down to saying “no” a lot. They’ve been able to fight President Obama and Democrats as a whole to a standstill on a number of thorny, hard-to-tackle issues including health care, a minimum wage increase, unemployment benefits and immigration over the past few years while pinning the blame on the other team. But now that they have both sides of Congress, as even some in the party concede, they’ll have to try something new — actually governing by enacting policy instead of just rejecting it. One other interesting national wrinkle in this midterm: progressive policies won the day in a number of states, while a couple deeply conservative statewide anti-abortion ballot initiatives in Colorado and North Dakota failed. Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota all passed minimum wage increases and Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. passed initiatives decriminalizing possession of various amounts of marijuana.

Republican secretary of state's name prominently featured on required polling place signs

Theoretically, there is no better real estate for a political candidate than the inside of a polling place, where a candidate’s name can be freshly stamped onto voters’ minds as they enter the voting booth. Currently, though, only one politician in Ohio gets access to this potential last-minute plug: Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted. He says recent voter information signs prominently featuring his name are standard issue for secretary of state. But Democrats say he’s taking unfair advantage of his position.There are laws against campaigning in polling places, and bumper stickers, buttons or other campaign swag are frowned upon in our temples of democracy the way movie theaters hate it when you try to sneak in some Twizzlers or a bunch of McChicken sandwiches in your pants. (I tried this once and the theater wasn’t too happy. I think you can sneak snacks into the polling places, though.)So big signs with your name on them are a no-go, unless you’re the current secretary of state, charged with overseeing elections. Then you’re required to draw up informational posters with instructions on how voters can update their voter registration and make sure they’re at the right polling place. These posters can be posted at voting locations. You can also put your name on those things. Real big, if you want to. Husted definitely wanted to, and did, emblazoning his name and signature on 2-foot by 3-foot posters that his office is now requiring all polling places to post. That has Democrats, including Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke, crying foul. Burke has taken exception to the inclusion of Husted’s name “the size of an oversized bumper sticker” on those posters. Burke is also chair of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, and he fired off an email earlier this week to Husted’s office demanding clarification about the requirement polling places post the posters. The letter contained some not-so-subtle digs as well.“I am struggling to understand how it is legitimate or fair to create a situation where you will be the only candidate on the ballot in next month’s election to have your name prominently displayed along with the office to which you seek reelection in each polling place,” Burke wrote in the message dated Oct. 7. Burke also questioned the inclusion of a second, 11-by-17-inch poster that likewise prominently features Husted’s name. That poster, designed by a 5th grade contest winner, has little factual information about voting, Burke says. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Damschroder replied later that evening, saying the posters are a routine task for the secretary of state’s office and that Husted’s name and signature are present to assure voters that the poster is official. Damschroder also pointed out that county board of elections members, such as Burke, have their signatures displayed at the bottom of ballots. Those signatures are small, however, and are unaccompanied by text spelling out the commissioners’ names. Perhaps they should work on the size and legibility of their autographs.Let’s not forget the fifth-grade contest winner in all this. Damschroder said polling places aren’t required to post that poster. “We have simply suggested that boards of elections post the winning design to advance the two-fold goal of encouraging participation in the democratic process, generally, and building civic-mindedness among the next generation of voters,” he said. If that kid is following along with what’s happening to that poster, she or he is surely getting a lesson about politics as well.

U.S Attorney General Eric Holder says DOJ will use its power to defend the right to vote

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last week said the Justice Department plans to join a lawsuit against the state of Ohio seeking to restore early voting in the state. Holder revealed the DOJ’s intention to join the fight in Ohio over early voting during an interview about terrorism with ABC News in London July 11. That portion of the interview was unaired. Holder’s comments were revealed when the DOJ released transcripts to the press this week.The Ohio suit, originally brought by the Ohio American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, claims the Republican-led elimination of early voting hours is unconstitutional because it will disproportionately affect minorities. Ohio’s General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans, passed laws in February eliminating six early voting days and same-day voter registration. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted subsequently eliminated early voting the last two Sundays before elections and on weekday evenings in the days before elections.Some of Husted’s cuts to early voting the Sunday before elections were undone by a federal district court judge, who ruled that the state must reinstitute early voting in the final three days before an election. Despite that victory, the other cuts have yet to be restored and are the grounds for the ACLU’s lawsuit.In the interview, Holder said voting is “the most basic of our rights” and vowed that he “will use every power that I have, every ability that I have as Attorney General to defend that right to vote.”Holder also said the DOJ will file in another voting rights case over Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which has seen a pitched battle in federal courts. Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald applauded Holder’s comments in a news release today. “I’m pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice will be joining the fight to protect voter rights in Ohio,” FitzGerald said in the release. “Under Governor Kasich, access to the polls has significantly decreased for hardworking Ohioans across the state.”

Board of Elections to move, Kasich repeals one early voting week, income inequality on rise

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted on Friday ruled that
the Hamilton County Board of Elections can move to a former hospital
site at Mount Airy after the 2016 election, but whether early voting
moves along with the Board of Elections needs to be resolved separately.
The decision does little to resolve the dispute between local Democrats
and Republicans about which location — downtown or Mount Airy — is
better for early voters. Democrats argue downtown, as the central hub of
local public transportation, best meets the need of most early voters.
Republicans argue the Mount Airy facility is closer to the center of the
whole county and provides free parking, which Republicans say should
make up for the few bus routes that go to the neighborhood.Gov. John Kasich on Friday signed two controversial
election bills that reduce the time allotted for early voting by one
week and restrict counties’ ability to send out unsolicited absentee
voting applications. The reduction of early voting in particular raised
claims of “voter suppression” from Democrats because the bill eliminates
the Golden Week in which early voters can register to vote and actually vote on
the same day. Republicans say the bills are necessary to establish
uniform early voting hours and rules across the state. In general, both
sides acknowledge Democrats benefit from more early voting access and
Republicans benefit from less early voting access.Income inequality rose in Ohio between 1979 and 2011, but Ohio fared
better than most states, according to an analysis from the Economic
Policy Institute and the Economic Analysis and Research Network. Ohio’s
top 1 percent make roughly 18.1 times the annual income as the bottom 99
percent. In comparison, the average nationwide rate is 24.4 and the rate
in the two worst performing states — New York and Connecticut — is 40.Contrary to faulty reports from Councilman Charlie Winburn and The Cincinnati Enquirer,
the city extensively warned residents about its decision to decertify
the flood levee around Lunken Airport. In fact, Winburn in 2010 actually
voted in favor of an ordinance that supported the decertification. The
decision means residents in the area need to purchase flood insurance.Mayor John Cranley and other city officials plan to boost
minority- and women-owned business contracts through aspirational
inclusion goals set between the city and contractors. Since the city can’t
force businesses to meet the goals, Cranley acknowledges the city could
fail. But contractors who worked on the Horsehoe Casino said a similar
policy was effective in boosting minority rates for that project.Two people died in Walnut Hills today after a stabbing and police-involved shooting, according to Cincinnati Police.Cincinnati plans to increase efforts to get more solar
panels on city rooftops. A more specific announcement should come in the
next few weeks. Just a couple weeks ago, the Solar Foundation ranked
Ohio No. 8 in the nation for solar jobs.Ohio gas prices continued rising this week.Watch a robot 3-D print with metal here.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopezGot any news tips? Email them to glopez@citybeat.com.

Mayor John Cranley plans to address long-term unemployment
in Cincinnati with several new initiatives, some of which could get
support from the White House, he told CityBeat yesterday. According to Cranley, the idea is to end employer discrimination against the
long-term unemployed or land the long-term unemployed into jobs to end
the job-crippling gap in their resumes. Cranley’s push against long-term
unemployment comes in preparation of his visit today to the White
House, which is looking for different ways to tackle the sluggish
economy without going through a gridlocked Congress.
Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted said it would be “logical”
to keep an early voting location downtown even if the Hamilton County
Board of Elections moves its offices to Mount Airy. Husted’s comments
imply local Republicans are alone in their effort to move early
voting to a new Mount Airy location, where only one bus line runs.
Democrats oppose the move because it would limit voting access for
people who rely on public transportation. But local Republicans claim
free parking at the facility would outweigh the lack of bus access. As
the secretary of state, Husted could break the board’s
tie vote over the issue and make the final decision on where its
offices and early voting end up.Gov. John Kasich threatened to veto a “puny” oil and gas
tax, casting doubts on the current proposal in the Ohio legislature. The
debate has put Kasich and his fellow Republicans in the General
Assembly at odds as the state undergoes a bit of an oil and gas boom
because of fracking, a drilling technique that pumps millions of gallons
of water, sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas reserves.
Kasich has been pushing to reform and increase the severance tax for
the state’s oil and gas producers. But Republican legislators have
largely resisted Kasich’s call to action, instead pushing a proposal
that increases the severance tax by much less than what the governor
proposed two years ago. In both Kasich and legislators’ proposals, the
raised revenue would be used for an income tax cut.
A Hamilton County judge should decide today whether a
local abortion clinic can remain open while it fights a state-ordered
shutdown.This year’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program will target
Walnut Hills and East Price Hill. The program aims to address a number
of issues, including the number of calls to police, building code
violations, vacant buildings, drug arrests, graffiti, junk cars, litter
and weeds.Cincinnati officials won an award for how the local budget
is presented and communicated, even though it’s still not structurally
balanced.The Ohio Statehouse welcomes weddings and receptions
except for gay couples, who can’t get the Ohio marriage
certificate required to hold a ceremony at the location.The Feb. 4 debate between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Creation
Museum Founder Ken Ham over evolution and biblical creationism will
stream live at The Cincinnati Enquirer. Evolution is taken as fact in the scientific world, but creationists deny its truth despite the clear, overwhelming evidence.A school bus driver might have saved two children by yelling at them to get out of the way during a crash.Scientists might have discovered a potential cure for peanut allergies.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopez

The Hamilton County Board of Elections plans to decide
today whether it will move its offices and early voting from downtown to
Mount Airy. The two Democrats on the board argue moving the offices
would push early voting away from public transportation options and
the city’s core, while the two Republicans claim it’s “good government”
because the Mount Airy site consolidates county services with the
coroner’s office and includes free parking. In the event of a tie
between Democrats and Republicans, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a
Republican, will break the tie. Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, proposed
an alternative site downtown on Thursday, but at least one Republican
county official said it wasn’t enough to meet the county’s needs.One of the Republicans on the board resigned as the city’s lobbyist to avoid a conflict of interest prior to
today’s vote.The Republican-controlled Ohio House last week approved a
bill that would allow school boards to designate school employees to
carry concealed firearms and prohibit school boards from releasing the
names of those employees. Republicans argue the proposal will help make
schools safer against would-be shooters. But several studies indicate
more guns lead to more gun-related violence. A 2009 ABC News special also
found even trained gun-wielders fail to properly react in the event of a
shooting.Fracking waste could soon move through barges on the Ohio
River, depending on an incoming decision from the U.S. Coast Guard.
During the fracking process, drillers pump millions of gallons of water,
sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas reserves. But some
of that water returns to the surface, and that wastewater needs to be
dumped somewhere. Oil and gas companies support the allowance of river
barges as a potentially cheaper transportation option for the
wastewater. But environmentalists, emergency response experts and other critics argue a spill on the Ohio River could cause widespread damage
as toxic wastewater flows down a river many communities tap into for
drinking water.Citing research from Pennsylvania fracking sites, some
advocates argue Ohio officials should take another look at whether
radiation from Ohio’s fracking operations is affecting surrounding
landfills and aquifers.Work at The Banks continues despite a debate over buildings’ heights.Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center significantly improved outcomes for teens with asthma, according to a Pediatrics study.Warning: Some Ohioans have been targeted by utility bill scams.Ohio gas prices remained relatively steady at the start of the week.Popular physicist Stephen Hawking argues there are no black holes, but other physicists appear skeptical of Hawking’s claims.Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy • News: @CityBeat_News • Music: @CityBeatMusic • German Lopez: @germanrlopez

Court orders state to allow minor-party primaries

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a
controversial law that limits minor political parties’ access to the
statewide ballot and ruled that the state must allow minor parties to participate in primary and general elections in 2014.
The law required minor parties to gather about 28,166 voter signatures by July to
regain official recognition at the state level — a threshold that
critics called unrealistic and burdensome for minor political parties —
and disallowed minor parties from holding primary elections in 2014.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson concluded the requirements
hurt minor parties that already filed for election before Kasich
signed the law in November. He argued the law also unfairly prevented minor
parties from reaping the political benefits of a primary election.
“The Ohio Legislature moved the proverbial goalpost in the
midst of the game,” wrote Watson in a 28-page opinion. “Stripping
plaintiffs of the opportunity to participate in the 2014 primary in
these circumstances would be patently unfair.”
But in filing a temporary injunction, Watson acknowledged the law’s requirements
could still stand for 2015 and beyond after the court hands down its final ruling at a later date. Watson
merely agreed with minor parties that the law places too many
retroactive limits in time for the 2014 election.
For now, the ruling comes as a major victory for the
Libertarian Party of Ohio, which filed a legal complaint against the law
after Gov. John Kasich and his fellow Republicans in the state
legislature, including State Sen. Bill Seitz of Cincinnati, approved it.
Ohio Democrats and Libertarians took to calling the law
the “John Kasich Re-election Protection Act.” They argued the law defends Kasich from minor-party challengers dissatisfied with his
record as governor, particularly his support for the Obamacare-funded Medicaid
expansion.
Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, also backed the law. He is cited as the defendant in Watson’s opinion.
CityBeat could not immediately reach Husted’s office for comment.
Democrats quickly took advantage of Watson’s ruling to prop up Nina Turner, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state.
“Today, a federal court declared that Jon Husted’s attempt
to put his political party over the rights of Ohio voters to have
choices violated the constitutional rights of Ohioans. This is not the
first time, either. This November, Ohioans can elect Nina Turner to
bring needed change to the Ohio secretary of state’s office,” said Brian
Hester, spokesperson for Ohio Democrats, in a statement.
Husted and Turner will likely face off in the November ballot.
Watson’s ruling could make it easier for a minor-party candidate to enter the race as
well.
Watson’s ruling:

Proposed legislation removes five days in which voters can simultaneously register and vote

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio says it opposes
Senate Bill 238, which would reduce Ohio’s in-person early voting
period from 35 to 29 days and repeal a five-day period in which Ohioans
can simultaneously register to vote and vote in person.
“The five-day window offers major benefits to many voters,
including those with disabilities or inflexible work schedules, and
there is little evidence that it has created any major problems,” said
ACLU of Ohio Director of Communications and Public Policy Mike Brickner
in a statement. “S.B. 238 throws away these critical, nonpartisan
benefits for no good reason.”
The bill was introduced in the Ohio Senate on Nov. 13 by
Republican State Sen. Frank Larose. It’s co-sponsored by six Republicans,
including State Sen. Bill Seitz of Cincinnati.
The bill’s introduction follows a letter from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted urging legislators to trim in-person early voting days.
The Ohio Association of Election Officials claims
uniform voting hours are necessary to avoid legal challenges in case
some counties set longer voting periods than others, which courts could
deem unfair under equal protection grounds. The uniform voting periods
reduce early voting days in some counties without their approval, the
organization acknowledges, but it’s necessary to keep the standards
uniform without placing an unfair burden on smaller counties.
Democrats, including State Rep. Alicia Reece of Cincinnati, say the real reason behind such proposals is to suppress voters.
“The Secretary of State’s voter suppression agenda is
extremely disappointing. As the state’s chief elections officer,
Secretary Husted is tasked with the duty of ensuring that Ohio’s
elections are fair and accessible to all citizens,” Reece said in a
statement. “Unfortunately, the proposed changes are aimed at restricting
voters’ access to the ballot box in 2014.”
Democrats have some evidence to their claims. Doug
Preisse, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party and close
adviser to Gov. John Kasich, previously wrote to The Columbus Dispatch
in an email regarding early voting, “I guess I really actually feel we
shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read
African-American — voter-turnout machine.”

Few local contributions to Issue 4, private prison mired in violence, Ohio could limit voting

Issue 4, the ballot initiative that would semi-privatize Cincinnati’s pension system, obtained most of its financial support from out-of-town tea party groups,
according to financial disclosure forms filed to the Hamilton County
Board of Elections on Oct. 24. Of the more than $231,000 raised for Issue 4 by
Cincinnati for Pension Reform, $229,500 came from groups in
West Chester, Ohio, and Virginia. Chris Littleton, a leading consultant
for Issue 4 and a long-time tea party activist involved in a few of the
listed groups, is also based in West Chester. City leaders unanimously
oppose Issue 4 because they argue it would force the city to cut
services and city employees’ retirement benefits — two claims that have
been backed by studies on Issue 4. Supporters say Issue 4 is necessary
to help fix the pension system’s $862 unfunded liability. Vice Mayor
Roxanne Qualls previously told CityBeat that City Council will take up
further reforms to address the unfunded liability after the election,
assuming voters reject Issue 4 on Nov. 5.
A re-inspection of the privatized Lake Erie Correctional
Institution (LECI) found that, while the private prison has made some
improvements in rehabilitation, health services and staffing, it remains
on pace in 2013 to match the previous year’s increased levels of violence.
Various state reports found the facility quickly deteriorated after it
became the first state prison to be sold to a private company,
Corrections Corporation of America, in 2011, under the urging of Gov.
John Kasich. In particular, inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-staff
assaults rapidly rose between 2010 and 2012 and appear to remain at
similar increased levels in 2013, according to an audit conducted on
Sept. 9 and 10 by Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, Ohio’s
independent prison watchdog. CityBeat previously covered the deteriorating conditions at LECI in further detail here.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted advocated trimming the amount of early voting days
in a letter to the state legislature yesterday. Husted says he wants
the rules passed to establish uniformity across all Ohio counties. But
Democrats — including State Sen. Nina Turner, who is set to run against
Husted in 2014 for secretary of state — say the measures attempt to
limit voting opportunities and suppress voters. In 2012, Doug Preisse,
close adviser to Gov. Kasich and chairman of the Franklin County
Republican Party, explained similar measures that limit early voting in
an email to The Columbus Dispatch: “I guess I really actually
feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban —
read African-American — voter-turnout machine.” Husted’s suggestions
also included measures that would allow online voter registration and
limit ballot access for candidates in minor political parties.
A Hamilton County judge yesterday dismissed another legal challenge
against the city’s parking plan, but the conservative group behind the legal dispute
plans to appeal. The plan would lease Cincinnati’s parking meters, lots
and garages to the Greater Cincinnati Port Authority, which would then
use private operators to manage the assets. Supporters say the lease is
necessary to leverage the city’s parking assets for an $85 million
upfront payment that would help pay for development projects. Opponents argue
it gives up too much control over the city’s parking assets to private
entities.
Several Medicaid overhaul bills began moving in the Ohio House
yesterday, following months of work and promises from Republican
legislators. The bills increase penalties for defrauding the state,
require the Department of Medicaid to implement reforms that seek to
improve outcomes and emphasize personal responsibility, and make
specific tweaks on minors obtaining prescriptions, hospitals reporting
of neonatal abstinence syndrome, behavioral health services and other
smaller categories. The overhaul bills follow Gov. Kasich’s decision to bypass the Ohio legislature
and expand Medicaid eligibility for at least two years with federal
funds approved by the Controlling Board, an obscure seven-member legislative
panel.
Ohio’s controversial facial-recognition program can be used by some federal and out-of-state officials, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The program allows police officers and civilian employees to use a
photo to search state databases for names and contact information; previously,
law enforcement officials needed a name or address to search such
databases. Shortly after the program was revealed, Gov. Kasich compared it to privacy-breaching national intelligence agencies.
Ohio students aren’t as good at math and science as students in China, Japan, Korea and Singapore, among other countries.
A bipartisan “open container” bill would allow cities, including Cincinnati, to legalize drinking alcohol in the streets. In the case of Cincinnati, the city could allow public drinking in up to two districts if the bill passed.
Supporters of the bill say it would boost economic activity in certain
areas, but some are concerned the bill will enable “trash and
rowdiness.”
Cincinnati leads the way on Twitter.
Vitamin B2, which is commonly found in cottage cheese, green veggies and meat, could be used to 3-D print medical implants.
Early voting is now underway. Find your voting location here. Normal voting hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., although some days are extended. Check out CityBeat’s coverage and endorsements for the 2013 election here.
On Oct. 29, local residents will be able to give feedback
to Cincinnati officials about the city budget — and also nab some free
pizza. The open budgeting event is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 29
at 1115 Bates Ave., Cincinnati.
Follow CityBeat on Twitter:• Main: @CityBeatCincy• News: @CityBeat_News• Music: @CityBeatMusic• German Lopez: @germanrlopez